Converge San Diego ’25 Programs
Converge San Diego brings together bold ideas and diverse voices to explore resilience in design. Below you’ll find the sessions selected for this year’s conference. The detailed schedule is still being finalized, but all programs will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.
Explore the program descriptions below to see the range of topics and speakers you’ll experience at Converge San Diego ’25.
Polyhaus: Resilient by Design – Rapid, Volume-Maximizing, and Sustainable Urban Infill Housing with Mass Timber
+ 1 CEU | HSW || Climate adaptation and regenerative systems
Daniel López-Pérez, University of San Diego
Daniel López-Pérez (b. Madrid, 1973) is a Professor of Architecture and a founding faculty member of the Architecture Program at the University of San Diego. A thought-leader and author in the design and construction innovation space. In professional practice, López-Pérez is the founder of www.polyhaus.com : a patented model for rapid-housing, that brings together the environmental resilience of mass-timber with the advancements of its digital fabrication and fast assembly, to address the nation’s housing crisis.
This session will be focused on recent innovations in the Urban Infill Housing space with Polyhaus' System as a case study: a modular housing innovation designed to address the urgent need for adaptable, high-density urban infill solutions. This presentation explores how Polyhaus enables rapid deployment, with units assembled in days to accelerate housing production. Its volume-maximizing design leverages compact footprints to optimize space in constrained urban environments. Engineered for resilience, Polyhaus structures withstand wildfire, seismic, wind, and environmental stressors while maintaining climate-resilience and sustainability. The system’s modularity supports diverse configurations, enabling prototypical flexibility in response to site-specific and community needs. This panel will examine case studies, design strategies, and policy implications, highlighting how Polyhaus offers a future-ready model for equitable and resilient urban infill development.
Presented By:
Designing with Native Plants to Strengthen Place and Ecology
+ 1 CEU | HSW || Climate adaptation and regenerative systems
Native landscapes are more than low-water solutions; they are expressions of place and ecology. This session explores integrating native plants across diverse projects, from parks to urban infill, to strengthen connections between people and the San Diego landscape while supporting biodiversity and resilience.
Presenters will share lessons learned from both design and implementation, offering practical strategies for working with native plants at different scales. Attendees will gain tools to advocate for native planting as an essential element of sustainable site design, framing landscapes not just as amenities but as vital components that create a strong sense of place while delivering measurable environmental benefits.
Presented By:
Jennifer Montgomery, Schmidt Design Group
Jennifer Montgomery, PLA, SITES AP, LEED AP BD+C
Jennifer Montgomery has devoted her career to sustainable landscape architecture practices, developing an appreciation for innovative site-specific design and construction solutions. She brings her passion for sustainability to her work on a wide variety of projects, from parks and master plans, to commercial and institutional facilities. Jenn’s passion lies in creating spaces where nature can thrive and people can too.
Highlights:
• Licensed landscape architect with 20 years of design and planning experience.
• Presented publicly at ASLA and APWA National Conferences and served as a mentor with the USGBC-California.
Patrick Montgomery, Native West
Patrick Montgomery is a Native Plant Specialist and Account Manager at Native West, a nursery dedicated to growing beautiful, hardy native plants. With over 20 years in the landscape industry, he specializes in native plant restoration and integrating native species into urban environments.
He recently spoke at the Spark Awards, highlighting innovative uses of native plants in Balboa Park. Passionate about connecting people with nature, Patrick combines horticultural knowledge with a design-minded approach to help project teams create resilient, ecologically rich landscapes.
How to be the Owner of Choice for Decarbonization
+ 1 CEU || Climate adaptation and regenerative systems
As climate commitments and regulations accelerate, building owners play a critical role in embedding decarbonization from day one. This session explores how to translate sustainability goals into actionable procurement strategies—starting with RFPs, Owner’s Project Requirements (OPRs), and technical specifications. UC San Diego will share how they are aligning internal teams, reinforcing campus decarbonization goals, and responding to policies like Buy Clean and CalGreen. An architect and contractor will offer insights into executing performance-based specifications, early carbon modeling, and life cycle assessments. Attendees will leave with practical strategies and real-world examples of how to ensure low-carbon priorities are clearly defined, achievable, and carried through from planning to construction—setting the stage for high-performance, climate-ready buildings.
Presented By:
Celia Hoag, DPR Construction
Celia Hoag is DPR Construction’s Sustainability Leader for Southern California and Arizona, with 18+ years of experience in sustainable, high-performance design. A licensed engineer, she leads initiatives in zero-waste construction, salvageability, and reducing single-use plastics. Celia also co-leads DPR’s BuildHer women’s ERG, championing equity and inclusion in the industry. She was named a 2023 Woman of Influence in Construction by the San Diego Business Journal and ENR’s 2024 Top Young Professional for California.
Eric Corey Freed, CannonDesign
Eric is a nationally recognized sustainability leader committed to transforming the built environment’s role in the climate crisis. Since joining CannonDesign, he has advanced the firm’s focus on regenerative design, net positive development, and circular economy strategies. A frequent speaker and workshop facilitator, Eric helps organizations align their ESG and CSR goals with impactful, carbon-smart solutions. He has contributed to over 40 LEED and net zero projects, consulted on hundreds more, and authored 12 books on sustainable building. Known for challenging the status quo, Eric has lectured in all 50 states and seven countries—and once even climbed the Pyramids.
Walt Kanzler, University of California - San Diego
Walt Kanzler is Senior Director of Project Quality Management at UC San Diego with over 30 years of experience in sustainable planning, design, construction, and facilities management across public and private sectors. A licensed architect and LEED Fellow, Walt leads initiatives in quality assurance, life cycle commissioning, and design integrity. He co-chairs the UC Green Building Working Group and UC San Diego’s Green Building Action Group, and is a former board member of the San Diego Green Building Council. Walt is a change agent focused on aligning research, education, and high-performance capital projects in higher education.
Product Sustainability Standards: Transparency for Industry Transformation
+ 1 CEU | HSW || Climate adaptation and regenerative systems
Every material choice made on a project is an opportunity to define a healthier future for our industry. This presentation will introduce how Gensler sees its Product Sustainability Standards (GPS), an open-source tool that gives designers, manufacturers, and clients a data-backed road map on specifications for 18 of the most used, high-impact product categories in architectural interior projects. This session will explain how the standards are built upon industry norms and shared data language, aligning with initiatives by industry organizations, regulatory standards, and third-party certifications to guide responsible material selection that prioritize sustainability and health. Attendees will learn how criteria was developed and how it can be implemented, including a case study demonstrating the product selection process for the American International University Kuwait.
Presented By:
Kara West, Gensler
Kara West is the Resource Librarian and a Senior Associate at Gensler San Diego. She co-leads the firmwide Sustainable Material Resource Group and serves on the Design Resilience team. A champion of the Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards she is the training lead on the Core Team and is the vetting lead for the flooring categories. Kara earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and B.A. in Art History from UC Santa Cruz. Prior to joining Gensler, she had 15 years of museum/library collection experience for both non-profits and the City of San Diego.
Juan Sora, Gensler
Juan Sora is an Associate and Senior Designer at Gensler San Diego who co-leads Design Resilience in the office with a focus on efficient workflows and technology. His experience with digital platforms like Tally has allowed him to show both clients and peers how sustainability is part of making design future proof, and not a siloed synergy. Juan was born in Colombia and grew up in Costa Rica, where he earned his bachelor's in architecture and urban planning. Both countries have ambitious sustainability goals, where Juan draws inspiration to challenge the built environment and our commitments to future generations.
Re-imagining Belonging and Home: How the Global Village Community Visioning Process is Empowering Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Exchange
+ 1 CEU || Equity and social resilience
RNT Architects and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) will showcase their unique and robust design process for the upcoming Refugee and Immigrant Cultural Hub in City Heights and their design charette plan that puts power in the hands of the community who needs this project the most. Attendees will learn how RNT Architects is working to open the architectural design process that is traditionally kept hidden behind studio doors.
Presented By:
Brandon Martella, RNT Architects
Brandon's work focuses on public sector projects, as well as sustainable design for a variety of project types. Brandon has served as Project Manager for several notable local projects such as the Harbor Park Master Plan and the AIA-award winning Borrego Springs Library. His clients in San Diego include SDCCD, the Port of San Diego, County of San Diego, and San Diego Unified School District. He is serving as the lead architect for the RICH project with PANA.
Randy Torres-Van Vleck, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans — PANA
Randy Torres-Van Vleck serves as the Associate Director of Community and Housing Development at PANA where he manages the development of the Global Village. The Global Village will redevelop 2.2 acres into 150 affordable homes and 50,000 square feet of commercial and cultural space.
Randy brings 15 years of experience in community development, engagement, planning, policy, transportation, and housing. He’s worked with community members to secure $150 million in implemented projects including the Centerline Transit Stations, Cuatro at City Heights, Eviction Prevention Program, and the 910 Overnight Express bus from the border to Downtown San Diego.
Muna Shegow, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans — PANA
Muna Shegow is a Board of Directors member at PANA - Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans. She is an active community leader who has worked to support policies and projects that improve the quality of life for City Heights and the Somali community. Muna has been actively involved with the community visioning process for Global Village cultural hub and housing campus.
Future-Ready Infrastructure: Advancing Resilience Through Workforce Innovation
+ 1 CEU || Digital resilience and AI integration
Isaac Kontorovsky, BKF Engineers
Isaac is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in both private and public projects throughout California. With an impressive track record in the Civil Engineering & Construction Industry, he has actively contributed to a diverse range of challenging developments. His portfolio boasts an array of residential, academic, civic, and commercial projects, performed for a large client list that including government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. His strong leadership is branded on disruptive innovation, challenging the status quo in extremely collaborative ways, helping development teams reach highly efficient solutions that hinge on the use of new technologies and industry trends.
As the demand for resilient and sustainable infrastructure grows, architects and design professionals are uniquely positioned to lead the integration of advanced technologies and innovative workforce strategies. This session explores how tools like AI, digital twins, and virtual design, combined with inclusive and multigenerational collaboration, are shaping the future of project delivery. Attendees will examine real-world case studies that highlight how interdisciplinary approaches drive resilient design solutions while addressing challenges like labor shortages and shifting workforce demographics. Participants will leave with actionable insights on building diverse, tech-savvy teams and applying strategies that enhance both creativity and resilience in the built environment.
Presented By:
AIA SD COTE Presents: Cardinal Childcare Center: Climate, Context, and Child-Centered Design in a Net-Zero Preschool
+1 CEU | HSW || Climate adaptation and regenerative systems
This session explores the design of a zero-net-energy public preschool in San Bernardino, emphasizing climate-responsive architecture, ecological preservation, and child-centered spatial strategies. Attendees will learn how the project integrates passive design to mitigate harsh winds and optimize natural ventilation, while preserving mature trees to enhance outdoor learning environments. The course highlights the use of low-embodied-carbon materials and interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce the building’s environmental impact. Additionally, it examines how scaled, sensory-rich design elements support early childhood development through exploration, autonomy, and refuge. Participants will gain insight into balancing sustainability, universal access, and educational program needs to create healthy, safe, and inspiring spaces for the youngest learners. This integrative approach offers replicable strategies for architects designing high-performance, resilient educational facilities.
Presented By:
Kenya Huezo, LPA
As Project Manager for the Landscape Architecture team, Kenya works collaboratively with the design team to design and specify outdoor spaces that are attractive, functional, and easy to maintain. To effectively program the outdoors, Kenya blends the existence between interior and exterior environments, extending the opportunities for the outdoors to promote healthy, balanced lifestyles.
Victoria Lowell, LPA
Victoria is a licensed architect primarily focusing on the interior components of projects. Her K-12 project experience spans most of California, with projects that have a consistent theme of community engagement, and design that represents the district's goals and the user experience. She has worked on complex joint-use facilities, navigating multiple partner and stakeholder needs and building consensus within varying viewpoints.
Jacob Gottlieb, LPA
Jacob brings over 15 years of engineering experience on projects across a variety of industry sectors, including civic, healthcare, education, and science + technology. He has deep experience in project design, construction document and detail development, and project specifications. His experience with unique and challenging structural projects informs a client-focused approach that searches for elegant and cost-effective design solutions.
Border Ecologies: Between Water and Land
+1 CEU || Economic and community durability
Border Ecologies: Between Water and Land explores how design, research, and community engagement intersect to address ecological resilience at the U.S.–México border. Focusing on Cañada de los Sauces Norte in Tijuana, this session presents interdisciplinary design strategies that respond to environmental neglect, jurisdictional challenges, and community resilience. Through cartography, design strategies, and pedagogic initiatives, presenters share how visual documentation and binational collaboration can foster design literacy and long-term environmental advocacy. The session offers architects, urban designers, educators, and cultural organizers alternative approaches for integrating social and ecological systems through design.
Presented By:
Adriana Eloisa Cuellar, University of San Diego - Border Design Lab
Adriana Cuéllar is Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of San Diego, founder of the Border Design Lab, and co-founder of CRO studio. Her research and practice engage the cultural and environmental challenges of border regions, advancing social impact through design. She holds a BArch from Cal Poly SLO and an MDes from Harvard GSD, where she received the Excellence Housing Design Award. A recipient of the Rome Prize Fellowship in Design, Cuéllar explores drawing as a form of visual history and inquiry. CRO studio's work has received numerous awards and publications for its civic and transborder design contributions.
Victoria Zepeda, Promotora de las Bellas Artes
Victoria Zepeda is a cultural manager from the U.S.-Mexico border region with 20 years of experience. She has led community-based cultural programs and coordinated spaces focused on the arts, civic innovation, violence prevention, and social entrepreneurship. She currently works as a consultant at Taller Común and serves as General Director of Promotora de las Bellas Artes A.C., an NGO that provides access to arts and educational programs for more than 1,200 children across 26 communities in Tijuana, as a way to help reduce social inequality through culture and creativity.
Design as Recovery: Personal and Collective Resilience After Trauma
+1 CEU | HSW || Equity and social resilience
Tomas Ortiz, Orto Studio
I am a design-builder and founder of Design Force Builders and ORTO Studio, an interdisciplinary design studio rooted in equity, cultural relevance, and community resilience. With over a decade of experience in architecture and construction, I design spaces that foster connection, reflect cultural identity, and respond to community needs. After a life-changing accident that left my dominant arm permanently paralyzed, I rebuilt my career and practice from the ground up. My work spans ADUs, home retreats, and small-scale developments that strengthen communities through inclusive design, hands-on construction knowledge, and a belief in architecture as a tool for healing and empowerment.
How do we rebuild when everything breaks, our bodies, our careers, our sense of purpose? In this profoundly personal and design-centered session, I share my journey of resilience after a life-altering injury that left my dominant arm permanently paralyzed. Rather than stepping away from practice, I founded a design-build studio that uses architecture as a tool for healing, empowerment, and community resilience. Through projects ranging from ADUs to off-grid retreats, I explore how design can foster equity, cultural relevance, and social transformation. Attendees will gain insight into how personal adversity can inform stronger, more empathetic design practices, and how architecture can strengthen people, places, and purpose.
Presented By:
Providing Places for Nurturing our Community Strengths: County of San Diego Health & Human Services Facility Case Studies
+ 1 CEU | HSW || Equity and social resilience
Come hear about a wide range of resiliency initiatives used in developing new facilities at the County of San Diego. We will explore how the County achieves LEED Gold, Net Zero Energy and reductions in embodied carbon in two of our new Health and Human Services facilities - while advancing equity, wellness, and resilience in our communities. Award winning case studies of the rural Ramona Community Resource Center and urban Southeast Live Well Centers will be highlighted. Presenters will share lessons learned in integrating performance goals with meaningful social value.
Presented By:
Melanie Tylke, County of San Diego
Melanie Tylke is Project Manager with the County of San Diego Department of General Services, having worked at the County for over 10 years on projects for clients including the Sheriff Department, Animal Services, Health and Human Services Agency, Parks and Recreation, Libraries and more. Her background is in urban planning and sociology, which lends to her unique understanding of the built environment and how people interact within those spaces. She is a certified planner from the American Institute of Certified Planners of the American Planning Association.
Luis Peris,AIA, PE LEED AP, County of San Diego Department of General Services (DGS)
Both an architect and an engineer, Luis pursues seamless multidisciplinary integration in all construction projects. It all starts with a strong team and comprehensive strategic plan. The Department of General Services is responsible for the planning, design, construction, and remodel of buildings and structures owned and leased by the County.
With a most diverse geography encompassing 4,600 square miles, San Diego County is engaged in an extensive capital development program with the goals of providing our community with effective public services and infrastructure, delivering comfortable and well-equipped spaces for all staff, and preserving the County’s historic, environmental, and cultural assets.
Colleen FitzSimons, County of San Diego
Colleen FitzSimons, PMP, CEM, LEED AP, is a Project Manager in the County of San Diego’s Energy and Sustainability Program, where she advances decarbonization and performance strategies across public facilities. Formerly Executive Director of the San Diego Green Building Council, she brings nearly two decades of experience in high-performance design, advocacy, and community education. For the Ramona Community Resource Center, Colleen provided sustainability guidance and verification support to achieve Net Zero Energy, reduced embodied carbon, and LEED Gold certification. She is dedicated to creating healthy, climate-positive communities through design and policy.
